


A Second Life

by writer_whims



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Nesta Archeron-centric, Original Character(s), Pre-Book 4: A Court of SliverFlames, no beta we die like men, this is kinda a big F U to the inner circle because i thirve off drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:23:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29771994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writer_whims/pseuds/writer_whims
Summary: Inspired by Starkssravings the Runway, I wrote my own ode to what could have happened in A court of Silver Flames. A cannon divergent story if Nesta would have left the night court altogether.Fifteen years. It had been fifteen years since he had seen her. He would find her. He would bring her home, would keep her safe.Fifteen years. Fifteen years she had been hiding, rebuilding, and making herself whole. She had found purpose, life, a family. And she would never go back to misery.
Relationships: Feyre Archeron/Rhysand, Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Comments: 10
Kudos: 38





	A Second Life

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is one of the only fics that I've written so bear with me is a little rough. This is just the overdramatic story that my brain thought of before Acosf had been published and I figured since it was out, why not put my crackpot idea out too. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

He saw her, framed with the golden summer sunset as it washed over her skin. Time stopped. It had been years since he had seen those cold steel eyes and soft brown hair. He didn't know what to do so he watched. Watched as she stood smiling laughing, just being. The last time he had seen Nesta she was withering away. Now this woman was so familiar yet foreign, stood 30 feet away dripping with a radiance of life and living and he didn’t know how to approach her.

He had dreamed about finding her over the past 17 years, dreamed of swooping in to take her home, to help her heal, but all that searching was frivolous seeing as how he didn’t even have a hint on how to find her. Yet there she was, laughing and joking and running her fingers through that perfect hair.

Cassian wasn’t even embarrassed about the tears that now ran down his face. He had been looking and searching for so long, and finally, he had found her. The woman who haunted his dreams, who felt like fresh air and renewed life, his renewed life standing there.

He took a step forward. Then another, and before he even knew it he was bounding down the paved cobblestone to be with her to hear her voice. He would do anything, but he would not lose her again, he wanted to bed by her side, no, Needed to be. He moved and her eyes finally caught up to the chaos that his limbs had created.  
Her relaxed gaze went wide, then all at once honed into the fine steel that she normally sported.

She waved off the friend she had been talking to seeming to give her goodbyes as they nodded at each other.

Another step and then he was upon her, standing less than an arm's length away, wanting to do nothing but touch her, to know he wasn’t dreaming that this was real, that after his years of torment, he had finally found her and she was okay.

“How-” Nesta had started but he didn’t let it go anywhere as he scooped her into his arms. He held her, tucked his head into the spot where her neck and shoulder met, and let his tears roll.

“I found you,” he sobbed out, “I finally found you.”

\----  
She had let her guard down too much seeing as she was now dealing with the crushing embrace of Cassian that seemed absolutely inescapable. Damn it, she shouted out in her mind she had avoided him for 15 years and because of that stupid perfume, Nona had shown her and her own stupidity she was literally crushed under his weight.

This was bad of course, If Percival or Cora spotted him she would be in for a world of trouble. Cassian’s reaction was bound to be the worst, but she had known that 15 years ago. Now she was going to have to live with the consequences.

“Cassian,” she choked out of her airway.

His whole body was pulled taught at the sound of his name.

“Cassian I need-” her sentence was cut off by the thrumming of his wins began and all the sudden they were in the air,

“CASSIAN!” Nesta shouted, “WHAT THE HELL,”

Cassian let out a breath and continued flying. Nesta squirmed. “Cassian put me down.” she let out. Cassian continued flying. “Cassian, PUT. ME. DOWN.” she stated again, this time her voice laced with a power that smoldered, touched with venom and ice4.

“No,” Cassian responded.  
“No?” Nesta questioned back, this man would be the death of her, and if he took her where she assumed she was bound to go, he would be the death of her life as well.

He tensed. “No, I am bound not to let you go. I’ve looked for you for fifteen years and you think I'm just going to let you go. NO. Not when your sisters have spent the last decade and a half grieving ever seeing you again, Not when you poisoned my heart to ache in a constant state of worry. No. You’re not going anywhere.” He let out a long breath. “You're coming with me. And I'm not letting you get away this time.”

Nesta finally stopped squirming in his arms, as he spoke those finite words. Not letting her get away this time? What was she to be a princess locked in a tower? A trophy on his and her sister's wall? No, She had a life she had to return to, a life that would collapse without her presence.

“P-please Cassian, please let me go.”

He cut her a glare. “No,” he repeated. They continued flying in silence. And ever so slowly tears leaked down Nesta’s eyes, as they approached the Night court with a course set straight for Vilaris.

\---  
Feyre had the biggest headache known to Fae kind and it had taken the form of Rhysand. She of course loved him and understood why he was acting like a territorial brute, but she didn’t think that he would be as bad the second time around. But here they were again. She was pregnant with their second child and he had sold his last brain cell thinking she needed more protection.

“Rhys, I love you but if you don’t calm down I will literally place a barrier around you so that I cannot hear you speak.” She sought out while rubbing the temple of her head. He gave her a sharp look and halted his adamant pacing. “That's not even funny,” he spoke.

“It's not a joke,”

A look flashed across his violet eyes that were filled with sorrow.

“Rhys, we talked about this last time, I am just as capable of doing things pregnant as I am normally, Just because I get a craving for chocolate or need to sit down for a second does not mean you need to summon the night court armies and declare a national state of emergency.”  
They both let out a long breath.

“Sorry,” Rhys Whispered, “I know I can get carried away ill try and reign it in.”

“It's okay.”  
With that Feyre was content to go back to dealing with her normal duties but the crash of the river house doors coming open drew the quick attention of both the high lord and lady. When they arrived at the scene downstairs, they witnessed what looked to be Cassian wrangling a girl who was fighting him like a feral street cat.

“Cassian what the hel-” Feyre’s breath stopped as she got a good look at the woman Cass had entrapped in his arms.

“Nesta,” The tears were already slipping down Feyre’s cheeks.  
\--

Nesta Froze in Cassian’s arms upon hearing her sister's voice. His grip loosened around her waist. She stepped out of his reach. She felt cornered and trapped like if she heard Feyre speak again all the air would be sucked out of the room. She hated that she was struggling to remember the face of stone she used to wear in front of them. Instead, she knew she had the idiotic look of a rabbit that knew it had wandered into the den of a fox.

She Positioned herself upright and tried to take another step back only to come in contact with the wall. She winced.

“Nesta,” Feyre spoke again coming closer, scrambling forward, as though her legs and body were too in shock to move forward. Nesta looked at Feyre's face. She noticed that she looked happy, healthy despite the mess her face was falling into upon seeing her.

That was the only glance that Nesta could afford to give her sister, she needed to get home. She needed to be there before something bad happened to Cora or Percival.  
Nesta Geared her gaze back to Cassian. “Take. Me. Home.” she spat at him, trying to recall and repurposed the venom she used to be so good at spitting. Without as much of a flinch Cassian shot back, “You are home, just be glad Rhys and Feyre haven’t had me drop you in a cell,”

That caught Nestas attention, a cell? Why would Rhys or Feyre have needed to throw her in a cell? She hadn’t even seen them in the past 15 years.

Nesta risked a glance at the Highlord and lady. Feyre looked hurt at her unwillingness for closeness after such a long reunion.

It was Rhysand who spoke up next, “I see your mission was successful after this attempt Cassian.” Nesta met his eyes. They still carried all the rage and fury for her as they had 15 years ago. “Nesta you look---pleasant,” he said with an obvious pause as took into account the mess of a woman standing in front of him.

“Please, take me back,” she spoke as tears welled up in her eyes betraying the stone mask she was trying so hard to upkeep. “Please.”

Cassian looked at Rhys and Feyre and then back to her.

“I can’t do that Nesta,”

She tried to mask the devastation, but something in her face broke. She looked to Feyre, who now tried to steel herself up into a commanding position. “Nesta y-you just got here. And we have to discuss something before you can leave again.”

“No,” Nesta said, “You have to take me back, there are--There are people who need me.” Nesta knew her face was starting to morph into a disaster, that her desperation was only bound to get worse as time went on. But she couldn't help it; she had to get out. To leave this cloaked city.

Rhys was the one to deliver the final blow, “You will stay here tonight, and then we will discuss returning after we have gone over some information tomorrow.”  
Nesta's eyes went wide, she stiffened, “You are not my Highlord and you have no command over me. I will take my leave when I see fit. If you will not take me back then I will walk back but I will not stay here. I would rather pull out my own fingernails and crawl home than stay here.”

Even though her words were directed at Rhysand, Nesta knew they would strike Feyre’s heart more, but that was good, it furthered the chasm between them; made it so that she couldn't get hurt and that Feyre wouldn’t have to worry about her in the long run.

“So High lord,” Nesta continued, “I would prefer if you would take me back, and we can all put this kidnapping behind us.”

“No.” Rhysand curtly responded. “We have things we must discuss, and you must listen to them. We will finish this conversation in the morning.” Feyre and him both rose to leave but were stopped upon hearing the front door once again prop open.

It was Elain who walked in. She was distracted starting to shout, “Nyx and I Are-” She stopped talking once she took in the scene and Nesta’s presence.  
She didn’t even say anything, just lept towards her. Nesta didn’t have the reaction time as Elain tried to sweep her into her arms, She stayed stiff and rigid, clearly just as uncomfortable with this sister as the last.

“You’re here? Who? How? I’ve-” Elain cut herself off with her own sobs.

Nesta tried to hone in on her thoughts, tried not to let her blatant discomfort for this whole situation settle in. It was at this moment that Nesta looked over the standing shorter figure of a boy with night-black hair and violet eyes. She started shaking, thinking about where she was, who was missing, why she had to get back home.

The boy spoke, “Mom, who is that?” he said with a skeptical tone, Like someone who felt he was being tricked.

Nesta forced herself off of Elain and began moving towards Feyre.

Feyre addressed the boy, “Nyx, go up to your room, I’ll explain everything in a minute.”

As she finished her sentence Nesta ceased her arm. “TAKE ME BACK FEYRE. NOW.” she was shaking Feyre, but it wasn’t forceful, it was desperate. “Take me home, Please,” She was openly sobbing now. “I promise, I’ll listen to whatever you and Rhysand have to say but please you have to take me back to the dawn court, Please.”

Nobody moved as Nesta sank to her knees still clutched onto Feyre’s arms. “Please I promise I'll make the deal but please I have to go back.”

Feyre looked up at Rhysand, then to Cassian, whose body was tense and eyes strung with deep and desperate concern. Then to Elain who was looking at her own hands in pain, as though she had just processed the distance that was wedged in between her and Nesta. As if it had just formed and hadn’t existed for the past 15 years. And finally, her eyes finished by looking at her son, whose eyes dashed around the room trying to find an answer to this whole scenario, and had landed on Nesta and flashed to Feyre with concern and confusion.

In a tone barely louder than a whisper Feyre spoke, “Okay, Nesta. I’ll make that deal with you, take my hand and I will take you back to the dawn court.” The look Rhys gave her was inquisitive but he must have understood to a point that he didn’t try and press Feyre's mind.

Nesta's hand met Feyre’s arms that she still had in her grip and as the deal was made all watched as magical tattoos, rose over Nesta's palms and down her inner arm, and as Feyre’s forearms were slowly consumed with a spiral pattern.

“Cassian, where did you find her,” Feyre asked in a low calm voice.

“In the dawn Court capital, west district, she was at what looked to be a communal place to do laundry.”

“Prepare to leave then,”

Rhys was about to list his absolute disagreement and disapproval but Feyre went into his mind. _Trust me, It will be okay_. She thought into his mind. _Take our son upstairs, make sure he’s okay and I’ll handle Nesta._

He still expressed his disapproval for this plan but Feyre had set her foot down and no amount of thoughts and conversation would change this plan.

Cassian gathered himself over to Feyre’s side clasping on his shoulder and then she winnowed them to the dawn court. Unaware of the complete tangle they were about to fall into.


End file.
